Justifying the Wicked & Condemning the Just

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. (Prov. 17:15)

They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood. (Psa. 94:21)

Recently, someone commented on my post, A Little Child Shall Lead Them, that the little Arab girl is not a Christian. You can read the comments on that post to see my response. I sure am thankful that our God sees the thoughts and motives of our hearts, and knows those who are His irrespective of others’ opinions.

People take sides on all kinds of issues, but the only “side” that matters is God’s side. All have sinned, and all can be saved through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ–not through superior knowledge, not through race or bloodline, not by speaking the language the experts demand we speak, not because our grandparents were saved, not because we have good attendance at church, not because we belong to a so-called “Christian country” as opposed to some other country, and not because we agree with the “orthodox” doctrine about a subject.

God is higher than “orthodoxy.” Orthodoxy is only the judgment of some majority, somewhere at some point in history (and how often is the majority correct?) Sometimes our favored “orthodoxy” is heresy, only we are too blinded by the apostate times we live in–and the apostasy of our own hearts– to see it.

Nationalism and it’s promotion and justification of violence is the darling of our contemporary churches, but it is nothing but heresy if you dare to believe the New Testament. These churches have very little in common with the early Church, but they are so satisfied with the crumbs this world tosses them in payment for their spiritual whoredom, they cannot see their own blindness and nakedness.

When God looks down upon His earth, He doesn’t see Christian countries and Muslim countries. He doesn’t drape Himself in one flag and burn the other flag. He doesn’t memorialize paid killers in His Book of Life, even if they claim with a thousand tongues to do Him service and engrave Bible verses on their weapons. He sees multiplied countries at war with Him and others (Psalm 2) because they are lost and do not know God. But His Word has not and will not return to Him void. His Word is being received and obeyed by a minority from every nation (Matt. 8:10-12). These are the blessed who sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven.

I’m sorry to inform those who love America and Israel more than they love God, that heaven will contain Arab people. Some of those Arabs may have even practiced radical Islam before they were born again. If you think this disqualifies them from the offer of salvation, you do not yet understand the gospel.

Let us be careful to have the mind of Christ on this matter. Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. (Prov. 11:1) When we weigh others by our man-made rules (including nationalistic ideals or media-induced prejudices) rather than by what is written, we are using a dishonest scale. What people group did the apostles write off as not worth their time? It is not God’s will for any Muslim to perish, but that each one would confess and forsake his sins and turn from false gods to Jesus Christ. This hope for the Arab is the same hope for the Jew or the Englishman or any other person. There is only one way into the Kingdom, and as One New Man, we who enter worship the Lamb together.

As a friend of mine recently said, “Muslims are not the enemy. They are the mission field.” Only a Kingdom Christian can say this with conviction! Oh, that we would grow up in Christ and be Christ to these people! Rather than sitting so piously in our rich homes blindly discussing our nation’s moral superiority to others. Our nation savagely dismembers thousands of innocent children daily, while looking to lying politicians to save us from savages. What hypocrisy! Do you want to know your enemy, America? Your enemy is YOU.

If America is to be judged by radical Islam, and that is possible (though I hope it won’t happen), it will be the righteous judgment of God. We’ve spent billions of dollars and shed countless gallons of human blood to “defend” our territory, trusting the arm of the flesh to give us a very transient happiness while others suffer. If Christians want to be the Church they are called to be, they will have to find the courage and love-for-all-men that the early church had. They will have to stop hoarding up the moldy treasures of earth, and begin to invest in the people for whom Christ died. They will have to understand the Kingdom of God and truly enter into it, once for all, dying to this present world. They will have to stop judging by appearances and begin to judge righteous judgment.

All people outside of Jesus Christ are condemned already (and need the gospel). Even if they speak English (or Hebrew) and are considered heroes. All people inside of Jesus Christ are justified. Even if they are Arab and speak Arabic.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isa. 5:20)